Chicago sends out more police

urges vigilance

July 22, 2005|By Chicago Tribune.

In response to a suspected second round of London terrorist bombings, Chicago officials Thursday told plainclothes officers to report in uniform, sent bomb dogs into the Loop and urged residents to watch for any suspicious activity or objects and to call 911 with concerns.

The CTA has boosted the number of police officers in train stations since the July 7 mass transit bombings in London, CTA President Frank Kruesi said during a news conference at the city's 911 communications center.

The presence remains heightened, he said, but he declined to comment on how many more officers are working in train stations.

When news of the latest London attacks came Thursday morning, the top police officials of Chicago, L.A. and Washington were together in Chicago to discuss ways U.S. cities can help one another to deter terrorist attacks.

The police officials are trying to formalize a system of sharing intelligence and techniques to fight terrorism, including a possible dedicated wireless network to let big-city police departments communicate during a crisis, said L.A. Police Chief William Bratton.

In the past two weeks, Chicago's 911 call center has received many more reports of suspicious people or objects than in the same period last year.The CTA has disrupted service a few times, but no threatening devices have been found, Kruesi said.

Chicago Police Supt. Philip Cline said he hoped the meeting he convened Thursday, which included officials from Las Vegas' police department, would lead to even more communication and sharing of resources to prevent terrorism.

L.A.'s Bratton said some of his officers were in London studying the July 7 attacks Thursday and were giving him e-mail updates throughout the day, which he was sharing with his fellow chiefs.